New look Drumreilly have nothing to lose says manager Bryan Whitney ahead of Junior Final

Drumreilly have absolutely nothing to fear when they take on Aughavas in next Sunday’s Fresh Today Junior A Championship Final according to manager Bryan Whitney as he backs his new look team to upset favourites and neighbours Aughavas in Ballinamore.

Speaking in Annaduff after their 0-14 to 1-6 victory over Cloone, Bryan was asked if the fact that the Final is a derby added to the occasion for Drumreilly: “Every team around there is at a derby. If you got Aughnasheelin, it was a derby. If you got Fenagh, it was a derby. If you got after Aughawillan, Ballinamore, Carrigallen, it is a derby, we’re surrounded.

“So it's not going to make any difference to me or I don't think to any of the lads that it is Aughavas. It's a final and it's there to be won and we know Aughavas are young and they're probably one of the favourites from the outset. So, they're there where they should be.

“We know the quality of the lads they have - the Shortts, then you've got young Joey McBrien and Eanna McNamara so, we all know about them. So, look, it's a difficult prospect for us but hopefully, if we play like that, we hit in the second half today, I wouldn't fear anyone.”

That attitude runs deep in Drumreilly and Bryan always believed that if he could get a full squad together, Drumreilly could make a run at the final: “It has been a long season and the junior championship has been extra tough this year with the addition of a few more of the teams that came down last year. 

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“It's a great competition. We started slowly in the league and stuff, building this year and getting lads back. So, once I got the lads back I actually had a great belief that we could get at least to the final if not win it. So, we've nothing to lose from here on in.”

What has really caught Bryan’s attention this year has been the growing influence of the younger generation, taking over from a storied group: “You saw the mix of experience there with Jimmy and Declan coming on with all those young lads. 

“Those older lads cast a big shadow but it's great to see the young lads kind of coming out from that. Some of those older lads didn't commit at the start of the year and it was the young lads' results that actually brought them back so the young lads are leading from the front, it's great to see it. 

“The older lads carried the can for long enough so I think the young lads now realise it's their time and they've been brilliant. Numbers are low but there's no point making excuses. You can only put 15 on the pitch and I've always had 15. We get on with it but I think the retirement age in Drumreilly is about 49, 50.

“That's testament to these great men - Mick Holohan came back today because we were riddled with flu the whole week. Mick felt bad, almost an imposter nearly coming back, having not trained all year but I begged him and he stayed  but that’s the nature of these Drumreilly men.

“I really can't praise these lads enough. They're just powerful units. I didn't know much about Conor Edwards before I came back this year. I didn't know much about Andrew McNiffe, Darren McNiffe ... I knew the young Houstons through Gerry because I worked with Gerry but didn't know them much as footballers. 

“They're great young men, proud Drumreilly men and that seems to be run through the DNA. They're born into the culture of the club - you never have to shout at a lad from Drumreilly to go for the ball, they go for the ball. They might not always do the right thing with us. It's a different culture down here but it's not accepted not to go for it.

“That's led by the dressing room with players. They've seen Declan, John, Jimmy, David Mitchell and Nigel and all those lads going before them. That's the way they play and they've played enough years with Declan and Jimmy and those boys to know what standards are acceptable.”

That was obvious in the second half of their semi-final against Cloone when, despite playing against the wind, Drumreilly dominated the contest: “I saw Cloone getting very close to scores in the first half against the wind so I said to the lads, if they can create chances we can finish them. 

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“That was what I believed and brilliant to put up five points against that wind - we were very unlucky there with a goal chance and a couple of other points went astray. We didn't use the wind right in the first half but we can't fault the attitude in the second half.”

Bryan’s enthusiasm for Drumreilly is obvious as he name-checks Conor Gaffney, Stephen Meissner, Peter Prior, Archie O'Connor and a few more players as he emphasises Drumreilly, as a club, needed a good run this year: “The club needed a little bit of a boost this year. There was talk about amalgamating with Aughawillan but these lads don't want to hear that. 

“They don't want to ever hear of it. That's what's going to put a bit of a kibosh on that. They want to stay on their own and I don't blame them. Drumreilly have great facilities, a great committee. They're a really popular club and everybody seems to give us a dig out which is unreal. This club is well got and it's great to see it. I'd be very grateful to all those clubs that helped us this year.”

As for the final, Bryan simply says “It's been a great year so far and we hope to finish it out with the cup in our hands!”